Getting There
You should definitely visit this place. Lake Aydarkul is located in the southeast of Kyzyl Kum. The flora and fauna of the lake and the area around it will not leave anyone indifferent. You can travel around Uzbekistan on your own by car or by hitchhiking.
First you need to get to the city of Nurata. In the city of Nurata, you can also get acquainted with local attractions. Then go to the side of Aydarkul lake, which is about 50 km. You can get to the lake by car (2 hours from Navoi, a little more from Samarkand or Bukhara). You will have to go through the desert. However, the long road and the heat are more than justified by the enchanting views outside the car window.
Despite the fact that it is a desert, the Kyzyl Kum sands look very picturesque. The distance from it to Tashkent is 330 km, and to the famous center of ecotourism – the mountain village of Sentob – only 30 km. Travel companies from Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara carry organized excursions to the lake. In addition, you can get to the lake by a rented car.
What to Expect
A rich and interesting program of tours to Nurata awaits you, an exotic overnight stay in a yurt – the national home of nomads, camel riding, akyns’ songs by the fire, professional guides and experienced translators.
A pleasant atmosphere in yurts is also created by woven patterns and even chandeliers. Environmentally, yurts are very clean, they were made from simple natural materials such as wood, felt and poles rolled from sheep’s wool. It is cool in summer and warm in winter.
The design of the yurts has been improved every time, it is assembled and disassembled within an hour. One family yurt is transported on 2 horses or camels. The yurt camp is equipped with stationary toilets and showers. You can spend the evening by the fire with the songs of the local akyn, admiring the peaceful atmosphere that is difficult to catch in a noisy city, making wishes for the shooting stars.
And during the day, you can walk around the camp or ride a camel that is specially trained. Having made a 1-2 hour camel ride, you can find yourself at the unique Aydarkul Lake, which stretches for 250 km. in the middle of the desert. On the Aydarkul lake, you will have the opportunity to taste fresh freshly caught fish, relax and even swim in warm waters and sunbathe on the sandy shore.
An unforgettable impression will be made by visiting the village lost in the sands, where the local population has still preserved ancient traditions and way of life.
In a small town on the border of the Nurata Mountains and the desert, tourists will be interested in visiting the pilgrimage site at the “holy” spring “Chashma”, where more than a thousand “sacred” fish swim. Here you can also see irrigation systems – kanats, which still deliver groundwater from the Nurata ridge to the valley.
The yurt camp becomes more and more famous every year, receiving here not only tourists from all over the world, but also those who want to see the world famous monuments of Uzbekistan. Employees of embassies and international organizations, joint ventures and their guests come here with pleasure to relax and spend their vacation far from civilization, or even a couple of days during which you can relax and get a lot of new impressions.
History
For a long time, the Arnasay lowland or, as it was called, the Hungry Steppe, for almost a whole year, was a dried up salt marsh. With the onset of spring, Lake Tuzkan appeared here, which dried up when the intense summer heat set in.
In the early 1960s, a dam was erected in Uzbekistan on the Syrdarya River, the Shardara hydroelectric power station was built and sluices were made. The flood of 1969 turned out to be so strong that the sluices were forced to open, and within a year 60% of all water from the Syr Darya was directed to the Arnasay lowland. Because of this, a new reservoir was formed – Lake Aydarkul.
Since 1969, every time a reservoir near a hydroelectric power plant overflowed the dam, the lake received additional water from the river. Soon it turned into the second largest body of water in Central Asia, second only to the Aral Sea.
Then different types of fish were brought into the artificial lake. Carp, pike perch, asp, bream, catfish, snakeheads and sabrefish have taken root in the Uzbek reservoir best of all, and today from 760 to 2 thousand tons of fish are harvested here annually.
Facilities Available
Services available on the territory of the Nurata Yart Camp:
- Sights
- Fish dishes, national dishes
- Souvenir shop
- Market
- Horse and Camel Riding
- Yurt and camping
- Service guide
- Wi-fi, internet
- Beach area
- Sanitary and hygienic points
- Public transport (bus, minibus)
- Taxi
- In addition to quality fish, the kitchens prepare “kumron” and “kimiz”
